Seal



Nov. 25, 1924.

C. KNOTH, JR

SEAL

Filed Sept. 18 1923 I LVENTOR KM} M ATTORNE Y;

Patented Nov 25, i924.

TATE PATEN raw-519 CONRAD KNOTH, JR., 015 BIDGEWOOD, YORK, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO JOHN T.

BLADEN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

' SEAL.

,application filed ,Sentemb er 18, 1923. Serial No. 663,379.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C RAD Kno'rrr, Jr., a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Ridgewood, Long Island, county of Queens, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Seals,of which the fo-llowingiis a specification.

My invention relates to seals for vsealing packages, bones, and allother articls around which or partly through whichfa string, cord, ropeor wire may bectied. My

object is to provide a seal adapted, among rebend it. One object of myinvention isto provide a seal which will give absolute and completeprotection to the contents of the packageto which it is attached andwhich will immediately reveal anyattempt to open the package. Anotherobject is to provide a seal which is inexpensive and one which may bevery quicklyattached to the package, and closed after the package hasbeen tied. The present seal is adaptedtor use on any and all forms ofboxes, packages, crates, and other containers" and fitis especiallyuseful as applied to suitfalndcloak boxes and the like which arepto beforwarded by express or mail, as ameans oi protectingthe shipper andconsigneefrom disputes iegarding losses inshipment, to discouragelossesin shipment byrendering it impossible to extract contents of thecontainerwithout detection and also to protect express companies against.fair and uniair claims-for losses inltransit.

Inthe drawing formingxpart ofthisapplioation,

Figure 1 is an elevation of abox orpackage tied withia cord and havingimproved seal appliedto .protecttheiknot in the cord,

FigureQ is aplan viewof theibox showing the seal in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the shell of the seal, a

Figure 4 is an elevation thereof,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5+5 of Figures,

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6 ,6 of Figure L ndFigure 7 is [a perspective View of the closingstrip.

The seal comprises two principal parts, one of which is a shell 1 ofsufficient size to enclose the knot 2 or the cord or rope with which thepackage or container is tied. I have indicated this shell as having acylindrical wall 3 with a dome-shaped top 4 at one end and having itsopposite end open to permit itto bepassed over the knot. The shell isprovided with oppositely arranged ivertical slots 5 to receive thestraight \run fi of the cord or rope and topermitthisto enter the slotswhenthe shell is placed over the knot. Nearlthe bottom ofthe shell thereare arranged slots or openings 7 at opposite positionsinthe shellandpreferably about,90 degrees displaced from the vertical slots 5. Theslots 7 are shown arranged nearer the open endof the shell than theupper ends -fthe vvertical slots v5.

The closing member consists of a strip '8 of a very fragile form ofmetal whichl will permititto be bent at any particular place but onceand which will break off if any attempt is made to rebend it ,This stripof metal may be such LS is commonly used in the Edgar seal which wellknown and is ,disclosed in prior Letters Patent; I haveshown-thisstripprovided with a solid, intermediate portion QtOgetherwith end portions which are weakened by ,removing or blanking outopenings 10. Along the side bars 11 of thesevopenings there are providedindentations or partial cuts 12", to iacilitate the bending ot thesebars at an yione of several points. These strips may be provided in theform shown in Figure 7 wherein twoof the bars 11 are bent at rightangles at the ,point 13 and again at the point 14: so 1 that one end ofthe strip is turnedhack upon itself'in U shape.

The top or dome 4 of the shell is preferably provided with apertures 15slightly larger than the cord or rope with which the package orreceptacle is tied.

Operation.

After the package or receptacle has been closed, the cord or rope 6 ispassed around it in any approved manner, preferably in the way shown inmy co-pending application, Serial No. 594,681, and the ends of the cordare brought together and tied in a double knot 2 as shown in Figure 6.Preferably, the free ends of the cord or rope are left extending fromthe knot 52 for the purpose hereinafter described. The shell 1 is placedover the knot 2 so that the latter is inclosed within the shell and thelatter is moved down so that the run 6 of the rope rises up in theverticalslots 5 of the shell, or rather the shell moves down over therope until the latter engages through the upper ends of the slots 5.During this operation the free ends of the rope extending beyond theknot 52 may be individually passed through the top openings 15 and theexterior knot 16 may be tied in these free ends for the purpose ofholding the shell in place while the closing strip is, being applied.The closing strip is then inserted through the slots 7 in the shell andthe straight end is bent downwardly at 17 and then again at 18 so thatthe strip takes the form of the letter C as shown in Figure 6. Thefunction of the knot 16 formed in the free ends of the rope outside ofthe shell is merely to hold the shell in place temporarily and while itfacilitates the rapid application of the seal it performs no function inthe actual protection of the package.

It will be understood that the seals, or at least the closing strips 8will be marked with individual identifying marks such as numbers orletters so that the consignee may be apprised through a correspondingmark on the invoice of the number or letter or other identifying mark onthe closing strip applied to a particular package represented in theinvoice. This makes'it difficult or impossible for one tosurreptitiously remove the closing strip and after removing part or allof the contents of the package to reattach the shell and apply a. new ordifferent closing strip. The consignee, by comparing the number or otheridentifying mark on the closing strip before opening the package, andcomparing that mark with. the corresponding mark on the invoice, may bereasonably sure that the closing strip is the one which was applied bythe shipper. If any attempt is made to remove the rope from the packagethe only access which can be had to the knot 2 is by removing theclosing strip 8 but if any attempt is made to bend this strip to permitit to be withdrawn from the slots 7 the strip will be immediately brokenbecause of its fragile nature and it will be impossible for the thief toreplace the same strip and it will also be difficult to replace thestrip with a new one on account of the individual identification marksabove referred to. The identifying marks may be placed on the surface ofthe strip 8 which faces the inside shell, if desired, in order that thismark will not be visible until the strip has been actually removed. Itwill be understood that when the consignee removes the closing strip thelatter is broken and can not be reused although the shell may be usedagain providing a new closing strip is supplied.

It will be apparent that the present device is inexpensive and that itmay be very quickly applied and that it protects the package duringtransit.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A seal of the class described comprising a shell adapted toenclose aknot in a cord, rope or the like and having on opening therein toreceive the knot, said shell having slots therein, and a closing stripcomposed of easily breakable material and adapted to be inserted throughsaid slots and then bent, for the purpose of sealing the knot in saidshell.

2. A seal of the class described comprising a shell having an open endand a closed end, said shell forming an enclosure to receive a knot in acord, rope or the like, said shell having slots adjacent its open end,and a closing strip of easily breakable material adapted to be passedthrough said slots and to be bent, for the purpose of sealing the knotin said shell.

3. A seal of the class described compris ing a shell having an open endand a closed end, said shell having slots extending upwardly from saidopen end to receive a run of cord, rope, or the like therein, the shellbeing adapted to enclose a knot in the cord or rope, and a closing stripof easily breakable material adapted to be inserted through said shelland to close the opening through which the knot enters the shell for thepurpose of sealing the same therein.

4:. A seal of the class described comprising a. shell open at one end toreceive a knot tied in a cord or rope therein, an easily breakable stripadapted to be passed through said shell and to-be bent to close saidopen end for the purpose of sealing the knot therein, said shell havingapertures in its opposite end permitting the ends of the cord or rope tobe carried outside the shell for the purpose set forth.

5. A seal of the class described comprising a cylindrical shell having acap at one end having apertures for thepurpose set forth, the oppositeend of said shell being open to receive a knot of a cord or ropetherein, said shell having slots extending upwardly from its open end toreceive a run of cord or rope therein, said shell having slots thereinadjacent its open end and a closing strip of easily breakable materialpassing through said latter slots and across the open end of the shell,said closing strip being bent at an angle at each side of the 10 shellfor the purpose set forth.

Signed at the city, county and State of New York, this 1st day ofSeptember, 1923.

CONRAD KNOTH, JR.

